Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul then stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and thereby avoided this damage and loss. I urge you now to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For last night there stood by me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before the emperor, and, indeed, God has granted safety to all those who are sailing with you.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. But we will have to run aground on some island.” ~ Acts 27:21-26
Paul had been arrested in Jerusalem, but as a Roman citizen he chose to exercise his right to appeal to the Emperor.
So it is as a prisoner that he sets sail for Rome.
And he is determined to get there.
From the moment the ship leaves, Paul seemingly is in control. Not that the sailors and centurion and guards know this.
But of course, for Paul, he knew it was God who was truly at the helm.
The protection Paul knows he has from God is shared by those who sail with him. It is protection that is extended even to his captors.
Paul is crossing into danger and yet remains calm. His trust, his faith, remove any anxiety he has.
We aren't all as calm as Paul in dangerous or frightening situations. In the early days of the pandemic, I own up to being anxious and afraid a lot of the time.
Yet even in those times when fear has the best of us as we cross over into uncharted territories, God's got us.
Even when the outcome is not what we had wished or hoped for - when suffering or pain is what comes instead - God's got us, moving with us as we cross through those times.
When is a time when your faith helped you overcome fear?
When is a time you knew God was with you even when something bad happened?
You've got this, God! You've got me. Help me to move through the dark times, knowing you are with me. Amen